Month: August 2015

20
Aug
2015

Will Steeper Airport Approaches Reduce Noise Pollution?

This is what a trial on the Heathrow airport’s flight path aims to find out as they will begin asking pilots to make steeper approaches top reduce the amount of noise they make and its impact on nearby residents.

Living near a busy airport like Heathrow is particularly difficult for anyone who wants to live a quiet life. The airport is currently the 4th busiest in the world and there are no signs that the amount of traffic passing to and from its runways will be reduced in our lifetime.

We are often asked to provide insulation services to residents who live near airports. On solution to reduce noise and possible damage is to ensure roofs and tiles are sealed properly as can be found amongst our case studies.

This trial by the Civil Aviation Authority could be an important step to reducing noise at source. Prevention can often be better than having to find a cure, however it is unlikely that simply have planes come in to land on a steeper trajectory will reduce noise levels by a huge amount.

The international standard for approaches is currently 3 degrees and the new trial will have planes approaching at 3 ½ degrees to see what the effect on noise will be. The trial will continue until March 2016.

Posted by admin in Soundproofing
10
Aug
2015

Is Low Noise Tolerance Bringing An End To Nightclubs?

Smoking bans and cash-strapped youngsters are all factors being blamed for the slow death of the nightclubs we know them but could it be as much to do with a lower tolerance for noise pollution?

The Guardian recently put together an article on the decline of nightclubs following news that more than half of all nightclubs in the UK have closed in the past 10 years.

The article looks at a variety of factors including the smoking ban which has significantly reduced the number of people going out to pubs as well as nightclubs and a simple lack of cash among the demographic most likely to be populating nightclubs.

However noise pollution cannot be discounted as a major reason for the decline. As one nightclub owner commented, a single noise complaint can lead to a licence being put in jeopardy. So when more people are living in city and town centre apartments than before the possibility of complaints can only increase.

Efforts to limit noise pollution include only allowing clubs to open until midnight so as not to disturb local residents and moments of calm where DJs stop playing music. All of these measures of course are extremely restrictive to nightclubs that were once open until the early hours of the following day.

Posted by admin in Soundproofing